The grandmother of Olympic gymnastics bronze medallist Sam Oldham has lost out
on a 200/1 bet that her grandson would win a medal after bookmakers refused
to pay out because it was a team – rather than an individual – medal.

Making history: Sam Oldham (far right) celebrates Team GB's historic bronze medal with the rest of the men's teamPhoto: PA

Linda Aldred placed the £5 bet at odds of 200/1 with Betfred just before theOlympic Gamesbegan on July 27.

The 66-year-old didn't expect her grandson to win anything but placed the bet in memory of her husband Eric, Oldham's grandfather, who died in 2006 and "loved a bet".

The 19-year-old scooped a historic team bronze with the men's gymnastic team and Aldred thought she had won £1,000 but when she went to collect her winnings she was told that the bet was for an individual medal, not a team medal.

"I thought it would be a good idea as Sam's grandad Eric was a betting man, so my sister and I thought we would put down a bet together in his memory," Aldred told the Thanet Times.

"We had never been in a betting shop before. The bet was for Sam to win any medal. As I walked out I said 'this one is for Eric' but I considered the bet already lost."

The Great Britain men's gymnastic team shocked the country when they won bronze to claim the first British medal in men's gymnastics for 100 years.

Oldham was awarded the medal – along with team-mates Kristian Thomas, Max Whitlock, Louis Smith, Daniel Purvis – on July 31, which was also the anniversary of his grandfather's death.

Aldred said: "I went back to the shop and I asked if my bet was finished and they said it was and the bet was void as Sam had won the medal as part of a team not as an individual. I was stunned."

She added: "I am really happy Sam won, it is more the principle than the money, but I could have used the winnings to pay for my ticket to see Sam at the 2016 Olympics in Rio."

Aldred has now taken her complaint up with The Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) and is hoping the bookies will honour the bet.

A spokesman for IBAS said they could not comment on individual cases but said: "We have been handling a number of bets relating to athletics and the Olympics and they will be dealt with through the normal procedures."

A spokesman for Betfred said: "We are currently in discussion with IBAS and we hope to come to a satisfactory conclusion for all concerned."